"Home Theater Hacks": The Insider's Guide to A Great Home Theater Setup

Sebastopol, CA--Perhaps it's the inconvenience and discomfort of waiting
in long lines at the theater, or the four-dollar price tag on a small bag
of popcorn. Or perhaps it's the lure of the latest technology that
promises to deliver the ultimate cinematic-quality experience directly to
your living room. Whatever the reason, the home theater market is
thriving. And, although the price tag on a home theater setup is still not
what you'd call cheap, good quality systems have become more affordable,
especially if you know where and how to buy them. In fact, one of the
biggest deterrents to installing a home theater system is knowing where to
turn for reliable information.

Home Theater Hacks (O'Reilly, US $24.95) by Brett McLaughlin distills
the knowledge, techniques, and experiences of home theater gurus in one
handy volume designed to boost the confidence of novices while adding to
the expertise of the more advanced. The book covers home theater
installation from start to finish, from purchase to experience, providing
the sort of information that could previously only be found through
laborious web searches, stacks of magazines, and water cooler
conversations.

"This collection of advice, tips, tricks, warnings, and screaming
admonitions reflects the best wisdom in the rather significant home
theater community," says McLaughlin. "Just getting started and want to
know what TV to buy? We cover it. Comfortable with computers and want to
use your home PC for playing DVDs? We'll show you how to get resolutions
better than $1,000 commercial DVD players. Seasoned pro looking for a new
challenge? Learn to wire up your own super-high-end power and speaker
cables. Whatever your experience and whatever your interest level, you'll
find something to pique your interest and push the envelope of even the
highest-grade home theaters."

Imagine no frustrating trial-and-error process, or better yet, no
expensive appointments with installation experts. Home Theater Hacks
will help readers prevent both those scenarios with practical techniques
not found anywhere else. Readers learn how to:

Master the jargon. The home theater scene has its own lingo, which, when
mastered, makes everything that follows much easier.

Buy without fear and get the best price, whether buying online, in a
chain store, or a boutique store.

Take control of sound. From speaker cables to placement, the book covers
everything that can be done to improve sound quality.

Tune in to HDTV. Whether the signals come through a rooftop antenna,
satellite dish, or cable hookup, readers learn everything they need to
know about high-definition TV.

Try out TiVo. What good is television if you can't watch it on your own
terms? These great tips will help readers bend TiVo to their will.

The book presents insider tips and tools in a concise yet entertaining
style. A seasoned veteran with numerous O'Reilly books under his belt,
author Brett McLaughlin presents an exhaustive wealth of knowledge to help
readers customize and maximize their home theater experience.

About O'Reilly

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